Chapter 8 ~ Keeping Up Appearances

Carmen didn't often think back to her time on VILE Island – not until recently, anyway – but there would always be moments of parallel. Setting aside the revolving door of criminals and psychopaths who contributed to her truly messed-up upbringing, great lengths were taken to keep her from learning the truth too early and, as a result, strangely normal occurrences slipped through: playing pranks with (and on) the big kids, proudly showing Coach Brunt each new scrape like she wouldn't immediately head for the first-aid kit in Shadowsan's classroom, waiting out any bad weather that inhibited her play. She remembered lying on her bed the night of her escape, running her gaze along every beam and light-fixture until she could practically feel them, ghosts in her empty, outstretched hands. She remembered being grateful for the storm, the pounding rain making deep thinking impossible, and she wished it was raining now…

Once again, she was tracing a ceiling as she laid on her back. This time, though, she also had a leg draped over Shadowsan's lap, and the interior of the small yacht's lower deck was notably lacking in ample distractions. They managed to leave Miami well before noon, the lurking threat of VILE still a legitimate concern as they hurried to load the rest of their things onto the vessel while Elfie made rapid phone calls. The oceanographer followed Chase and Julia up to the flybridge, phone pressed tightly to her ear as she rushed to wrap up the conversation, leaving father and daughter to head below deck in search of a place to change out of their convention attire. The onboard bathroom was cramped to say the least, barely large enough to squeeze an additional set of clothes through the door, but it was serviceable. Shadowsan went in first (practically in and out in under two minutes), but as Carmen straightened her blue playsuit, a crusting gash caught her attention. The fight… She must have fallen on a rough screw or something, too concerned in the moment to notice any blood. Shadowsan spotted it the second she left the bathroom, promptly locating a first-aid kit. And so, they sat in tense silence, interrupted only by quiet winces and the rustles of plastic as the ninja rummaged for antiseptics and gently applied them to her broken skin.

"What happened was not your fault."

"I should've spoken up the second I thought I saw Brunt."

"Much has happened these past few days. We all make mistakes."

"Yeah, well my 'mistake' could've got someone killed!"

Shadowsan paused, lifting the wipe away from her thigh as he waited for her to calm down. He knew well enough by now that these occasional snaps were not her intension, but rather a side effect of her anxiety as she battled the turbulent emotions inside her. They would pass on their own, far sooner than if he were to draw attention to them.

Carmen sighed, pushing herself up onto her elbows. "I'm sorry, Dad. I'm just…"

"I know." He offered her a small, reserved smile. "Your directness was not taken personally."

Carmen smiled back. "How's my leg?"

"It looks better now that I have cleaned it." He went back to treating her wound, briefly gesturing to a cherry-red patch on the cuff of her shorts. "You will need to think of a way to explain the blood stains to your mother."

"Oh no, better she hear that from you. She likes you, so— Ow!"

Shadowsan recoiled in alarm. The broken skin slowly became red again, a slither of fresh blood staining the underside of his nail. Yareyareda ze, where was his focus!? He cleared his throat and drew a clean tissue from the box, pressing it firmly against her leg. "Gomen."

She raised an eyebrow. He was many things, but certainly not clumsy. Venice had been a rare exception, a perfectly logical response to recent events as he fumbled over the very first mask he took from its display. Was he worried about the caper? About her mother? She knew they'd grown close the last two years, but he'd never shown concern towards her before… Right?

Her jaw clenched as she went to speak, only for her to hear the groan of old floorboards. Elfie sauntered down from the upper level, a thick notebook perched on her forearm as the ground tipped beneath her. She had shed her coat and faux weaponry, but still carried herself with the same buff bravado, a hearty smile stretched across her face.

"Hey, lass. You're lookin' a lot better…"

"Uh, thanks." Carmen winced slightly as Shadowsan fixed a bandage over the cut. "I'm just glad we were able to get you out safely."

Elfie nodded before turning to Shadowsan. "Hate to interrupt a father-daughter moment, Old Salt, but can you spare a few?"

Carmen cracked a small smile at his expense, earning a stern look in response. Zack and Ivy would receive one of his signature growls when they inevitably learned of this, but he could not warrant any further response towards his darling kit. After such a hard day, he was quietly grateful for a glimpse of her normal demeanour.

Shadowsan looked back at Elfie. "Can I help you with something?"

"This coffer you're chasin'. Would really help if I could get an estimated weight. Any chance you know what else was in it?"

He thought for a moment, then shrugged a shoulder. "I could certainly hazard a guess."

Carmen swung her legs round and stood up, gesturing to her empty seat. "Go ahead. I'll go check in with Chase and Jules."

Once again, the wooden stairs protested their use, whimpering one by one as she made her way up to the flybridge. Chase sat behind the wheel, his eye trained so closely on the open sea that she couldn't be certain he knew she was there. Julia sat beside him as his passenger, her petite self practically swallowed by the spacious seats as she scrolled over something on her tablet.

"Wow, Jules. You're letting Chase drive?"

Chase mocked offense. "I will have you know that I am more than capable of completing an assignment without causing property damage."

"Oh, leave her be." Julia shuffled over in her seat, leaving an empty space for her. "It's good to see you back to your old self."

Carmen perched on the edge of the seat. "So, where are we off to?"

"Mademoiselle Ross has instructed me to head for the Bahamas. She is waiting to hear back from some colleagues and will provide a fixed destination in due time."

She bit her lip. "And… Zack and Ivy? Any updates?"

"Ivy just filed her report." Julia handed her the tablet. "Coach Brunt is being held in high security. She thankfully only caused minor injuries, but ACME are quietly paying off the medical bills, and the few civilians arrested have been pardoned at ACME's request. Zack did receive a conduct warning over the incident, but Chief has cleared him to rendezvous with us as soon as we have a confirmed placement."

Carmen skimmed the report. Roughly a dozen people had been hospitalised, most of whom sustained little more than cuts and bruises with the odd broken bone or suspected concussion here and there. Just as Jules had mentioned, Ivy had motioned on each person's behalf to have ACME personally handle any resulting costs, each case already marked with Chief's approving signature. It seemed the older woman had indeed softened over time, even replicating her own acts to pay VILE's funds forward.

Chase harrumphed behind the steering wheel, though his tone bore no genuine ill-will. "Zack got lucky. Chief would've been not nearly as forgiving if I was responsible."

Julia took back the tablet, a fond, playful smile forming as she side-eyed him. "If you were responsible, there would not have been a brawl to begin with. You would rush Brunt yourself before anyone could stop you."

Chase smirked. "Or perhaps you would have demonstrated your flying tackle manoeuvre."

"That was one time!"

Carmen watched them go back and forth with their banter. It was almost a tennis match, her head turning from Chase to Jules to Chase again. They had always been a fun pair to watch, but this felt like a professional sport, practised for years over kitchen benches and television remotes. She stopped listening to the words flying past her, a sour guilt forming in the pit of her stomach.

The banter fizzled out on a soft, shared laugh, before Julia put a supportive hand on her shoulder. "I understand you're concerned, Carmen, but you have nothing to fear. We will track them down before they can do any serious harm."

"Huh?" Carmen snapped back to reality, quickly forcing a smile. "Oh, yeah… I-I'm sure we will, Jules."

Heavy footsteps thundered up the stairwell, and Elfie emerged with a purposeful stride. "Look alive, skipper. My gal in Nassau came through. We can be there by nightfall."

She tossed something across the small space. Carmen caught it, then smoothed the paper out from its tight ball. "Jules…"

"Chartering a flight for Zack and Ivy now."

Julia went back to working on her tablet, updating records with haste as Elfie retreated below deck. Carmen stood, paper in hand. It curled in her grip, shaking almost as she entered the coordinates written there into the yacht's navigation system. The intel processed near instantaneously, and Chase glanced sparingly at the monitor as he cut through the swells. Once again, the space was silent, and nothing remained to drown out the thunder Carmen felt within.

They made good time to Nassau, arriving with the golden hour as Chase pulled into one of the quiet marinas. True to the travel guides they had idly perused on the way, the streets and waters alike were nearly empty, save for themselves and a modest handful of travel-savvy tourists making the most of the off-season. They were promptly met by Zack and Ivy, who had already arranged accommodation at one of the capital's prominent coastal hotels – a welcome update for Chase and Julia, both exhausted from the several-hour drive. Elfie had also excused herself, leaving with an eager spring in her step to meet with her colleague. With nothing left to do but wait, the remaining four agreed to dinner on Junkanoo Beach, Shadowsan volunteering to guard their things as the others left in search of suitable food establishments.

He stared off into the distance, the setting sun catching the frame of his sunglasses. He had never been overly impressed with beaches. True, Japan had many exquisite beaches – several of which located along the Pacific coast of Shizuoka Prefecture – but none less than a three-hour drive from Matsumoto Castle. He seldom ventured away from the populated cities of Tokyo whilst with the Yakuza, and most of his time on VILE Island was spent indoors. Though despite his lack of sandy exposure, he failed to see how anything could compete with the picturesque view before him: pink and purple clouds over miles of white sand, and palm trees fringed with the dying flames of day as the golden sun dipped into the sparkling, turquoise waters.

A thoughtful smile tugged at the ninja's lips; he had not set foot on a beach since last November. It was Catalina's birthday – the first since losing her parents – and all she wanted to do was go to the beach. What started as a perfectly relaxing day was jarringly disrupted by one of the children running over to him, alarming him that Carlotta had somehow been hurt. He found her in the shallows, a South American sea nettle wrapped around her ankle as she simultaneously tried to soothe the startled little ones and dissuade Jaziel from poking it. How she held on for them, blinking back tears of agony as he hastily pried the creature's stingers from her reddening skin with gloved hands. No sooner had he helped her to their beach chairs, she tumbled into his side, clutching his arms for support. At the time, he had not been able to explain his concern, nor what possessed him to call her beautiful in the soft, afternoon sunlight. Now though, he simply refused to.

Shadowsan checked his watch. The children would be all tucked in by now, leaving their guardian angel with only her fears for company as she paced the halls, once again waiting for her daughter's return. He took out his phone, quickly finding their message thread and typing a new entry.

Coach Brunt has been arrested. I thought you should know.

Not twenty seconds later, his phone beeped in reply:

Is Carmen alright?

He took a moment to select his words, mentally weighing each one.

She sustained a few scratches, but nothing to be concerned about.

And you?

I miss you… Shadowsan caught himself, his thumb hovering over the keypad. He once found solace in their distance, seeing it as a safety net for his weakening resolve. But that was before – those days when he adamantly labelled her a dear friend and nothing more. Days that became less and less frequent the more he found himself marking out his calendar. There was nothing in the world he wanted quite so badly as her time, to make fond memories with her. But he needed to focus, especially having lost his only remaining excuse.

He typed a response:

We are safe.

"We're back."

Shadowsan put his phone away, turning sideways in the full-length lounge chair so Carmen could sit beside him. Zack and Ivy settled themselves on the adjacent chair in a similar fashion, Ivy handing out takeaway boxes as Carmen propped her phone in her bag to give Player an optimal view.

"Five-star restaurant sushi for us, soggy triple cheeseburger for Zack."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

Ivy scoffed. "Some pirate you'd be."

Carmen unwrapped her chopsticks. "Pirates didn't eat seafood much either, Ivy. Elfie says they mostly ate beans and dried plants since fishing was too time consuming."

"How great is this?" Zack swallowed a large mouthful of his burger. "Hunting for sunken treasure, in the home of romantised piracy, with an actual pirate expert. It's like our very own 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movie!"

"Actually, Zack, the Bahamas technically aren't part of the Caribbean." Player scooted forward in his computer chair to reach his keyboard. His feed promptly disappeared, replaced with a map of the area. "Formerly a British territory, the Bahamas are an archipelago of over 700 islands, located in the West Indies. That said, they're often grouped with the Caribbean because of proximity, history and similar climate."

"The name Bahamas comes from the Spanish term baja mar, which loosely translates to 'shallow sea'," Carmen continued. "No doubt attributed to their famously clear waters."

"No kidding! You can see the ocean floor up to 200 feet below the surface – that's about the same as a 20-story building!"

"Perfect for viewing the Andros Barrier Reef. It's the world's third-largest – behind the Great Barrier Reef and the Mesoamerican Reef – stretching more than 190 miles."

"Maybe you'll spot the Bahamas' very own sea monster. The lusca is described as 'half-shark and half-octopus'. Some folklore says it can even change colour."

"Wait…" Zack looked genuinely heartbroken. "So the Bahamas didn't have pirates?"

Player laughed. "Oh, they had pirates, Zack. The 'Golden Age of Piracy' lasted for thirty years from 1690 to 1720 and, during that time, the Bahamas had more pirates than any Caribbean country. The surrounding waters were too shallow for Navy ships, but they were perfect for the shallow draft vessels favoured by pirates."

Carmen nodded. "Nassau became the very heart of the Golden Age. Many of its settlers abandoned the island, leading to the establishment of the Republic of Pirates, a thriving community of seafaring rogues."

"This 'Republic' was dominated by famous rivals Benjamin Hornigold and Henry Jennings, who mentored other Bahamian pirates such as Blackbeard, Calico Jack, Anne Bonny, and Mary Read."

"They caused mass havoc until 1718, when Woodes Rogers was made Governor of the Bahamas. This act re-established British control and ended the Republic of Pirates for good."

"Though the pirates remain a big part of the city's history. Just down the road, you can relive the Golden Age at Pirates of Nassau – an interactive museum experience taking place on a replica of Blackbeard's ship."

Zack gawked at the screen's image of a coral red building, its mural faded and paintwork worn away by the elements. Sections of the signage had broken free from the old serif lettering, the establishment clearly prioritising the interior in its upkeep costs.

Ivy tittered, ruffling his hair. "Now there's a Zack-attraction if ever I saw one."

"We should totally go there!" He met her incredulous look with a playful nudge. "You know, after we stop VILE."

Player popped back onto the screen. "Speaking of, here comes our ocean expert."

The four turned. The last of her pirate ensemble had been replaced with borrowed clothes, but the woman approaching was easily recognisable as Doctor Ross. She studied a large map of some kind as she trekked down the beach, her attention so ingrained that she collided with another beach-goer. The other woman reeled back in disgust, quickly inspecting the tropical-print sarong wrapped over her designer swimwear, as Elfie gathered her strewn papers. The stranger adjusted her expensive sunglasses, her face likely outfitted with seething offense behind her floppy, wide-brimmed straw hat.

"Gade kote w prale!"

"Oh, um…" Elfie mumbled hesitantly, "Mwen d-dezole…?"

The woman gave a further 'humph', storming off towards a nearby lounge chair. After settling, she dug through her belongings to retrieve a tanning reflector. She shook it out with a needless amount of force, the foil board cracking the air like a clap of thunder, before positioning it around her neck.

Ivy rolled her eyes at the routine. "What's her problem?"

"Ah, probably my own fault." Elfie waved it off as she joined them, dropping cross-legged into the sand. A sense of mischief danced in her expression as she pointedly grit her teeth, "Me Haitian Creole do be rather shoddy."

Carmen set aside her food. "Any luck locating potential targets?"

Elfie cleared her throat, smiling as she spread out her papers. "Feast your eyes, lass."

For only a rough hour of work, the woman had truly outdone herself. The map she presented to them displayed the vast waters surrounding Nassau and the wider Bahamas, their regions colour-coded in various shades of blue to reflect ocean depths. Red crosses peppered the rough paper, scattered with careful consistency by the two specialists.

"Now, I have good news and bad news. Good news is that we're likin' this particular area." Elfie pointed specifically to one of the crosses, situated in a channel of ocean between the Andros Barrier Reef and western tip of Nassau. "Waters here are deep and typically left alone, so your booty could've sat there undisturbed for years."

Shadowsan raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly is the bad news?"

"Hate to say it, Old Salt, but we're lookin' for a needle in a haystack at those depths."

Ivy clapped a hand over Zack's mouth as tiny bubbles formed on his lips, her facial features pinched in such a way that proved she shared her brother's amusement at the nickname. Shadowsan threw them both a cold glare, though Carmen barely noticed it as she turned from the map. "We can still manage it though, right?"

The older woman bobbed her head to either side, hesitating with her answer. "Theoretically. Your best hope would be if you could scan for materials inside the chest."

"Materials… like metals?"

Elfie clicked her tongue. "Salt water tends to throw off metal detectors due to the minerals. Trace amounts of radiation will work better. If you think anythin' in there would have 'em…"

Silence rang over them, then Zack pulled his sister's hand from his mouth. "What about the tiara itself? Don't a lot of gemstones have radioactive properties?"

"Uh, yes and no…" Player interjected, tapping away at his keyboard. "A selection of gemstones do have natural radioactivity, but mostly not the type you find in jewellery. Rubies do sometimes, but it isn't clear whether that's a naturally occurring thing or from part of the jewellery-making process."

Carmen sighed. "Well, it's the only chance we have. We may have thrown off VILE back in Florida, but they'll find a way here eventually."

"I'll recalibrate your scanners tonight. With any luck, we'll have you out to the search site by morning."

For one moment, Shadowsan turned back to the horizon. The sun sunk like a treasure into the sea, the skies now red and violet.

A/N: Thanks to everyone for being so patient! 😊 I'm happy to say that my Honours thesis has now been submitted and I'm ready to get back to work on finishing this fanfic. Next few chapters are still a bit choppy, and I do have a surprise or two left in store, so updates may be a little less regular for the time being.

Hope you enjoyed this short recap, not to mention the Bahamas edutainment. I think I actually prefer this one over the Carlota of Mexico edutainment in Chapter 6; I like how this being less exact and structured emulates the style of the show. But of course, me being the 'Shadowstan' I am, my personal favourite was his little moment on the beach. Boi be in DENILE! 😂

Fair warning, next chapter is going to be INTENSE. 😳 Everything that's happened these past eight chapters has been leading to this moment…

Translation:

Yareyareda ze! = Good grief!
Gomen. = Sorry.
Gade kote w prale! = Look where you're going!
Mwen dezole. = I'm sorry.